


The Heart That Learned To Shine

by SwoloKip



Category: Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Brief Mention of Alcoholism, Character Study, Daddy Issues, F/M, Maria Stark Foundation, Minor Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-15
Updated: 2014-09-15
Packaged: 2018-02-17 10:47:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2306936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwoloKip/pseuds/SwoloKip
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony has a big, kind heart despite popular belief. Except that his heart had learned to hide in Howard Stark's shadow a long time ago, until that one fateful day when he was held hostage in Afghanistan and his heart learned to SHINE.</p><p>Quite literally, in fact.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Heart That Learned To Shine

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, no, sorry. For those who are reading my other story, "Just Around The Corner" I deeply apologize....again. You ever get that feeling when you're writing and you KNOW what you want to happen and when you try to type absolutely no words come out? I hate it.
> 
> So, after so long, I FINALLY got an idea...except it didn't turn out as I originally planned. This one-shot was gonna feature Tony and he was gonna get all cuddly with kittens. You can see how that turned out.
> 
> But it's alright, I suppose....

* * *

Tony has a big, kind heart despite popular belief. No one knew the truth but Pepper- because she _always_ knew. She knew that Anthony Stark had a heart even when evidence should have told her he didn't.

As a child, Tony had hair that was dark brown, eyes that weren't quite innocent but dark brown, and a heart that still loved regardless of the dark that surrounded him.

Tony used to have his mother to thank for that.

His mother, tried as she might, could not shield Tony of his father's alcoholism. His father couldn't _contain_ that vicious drink, not like how Tony learned to- despite the appearances that he also wasn't able to.

Tony looked nothing like his mother. Maria had dark wavy auburn _almost_ brown hair, dark _gray_ eyes, but that _same_ loving heart that shone through any darkness.

Looking in the mirror, Tony learned to hate his reflection. He hated he didn't look enough like his mother to remember what she gave him (her loving heart)- he always saw Howard Stark the Alcoholic. The same alcoholic genius that didn't have _quite_ as big heart.

Maria Stark wasn't the same genius as Tony and Howard were. She couldn't figure out the physics of the reactor, nor could she solve the most difficult of problems...

Instead, she was her _own_ proper genius. She had a big, kind heart that inspired the Maria Stark Foundation. The same big, kind heart that nursed Tony to the man he was- despite the alcoholism. Which, because of her, would one day conquer his personal troubles.

The only difference Maria and her son's heart, is that her's _shone_. It was obvious. Tony's heart hid in his father's shadow till one day, many years later, he was taken captive in Afghanistan.

That's when his heart learned to _shine_ , so like his mothers, and people began to see. But it was _always_ Pepper who saw, who _always_ knew.

Maybe it was the way Tony showed compassion in never bedding her, or maybe it was simply seeing him personally in his own home.

When he gave the old reactor to her to throw out, she did the exact opposite and encased it. Like it was special.

And it was. It truly was. Pepper would never know what that simple act did to him. Because with the encasing she had also engraved the words "Proof That Tony Stark Has A Heart."

If Pepper knew, Tony figured that it was okay no matter what other's thought.

People instinctively figured that Maria Stark had a big, kind heart. She didn't _need_ a reactor to shine through the dark. Maria did that on her own, with her own genius.

People _eventually_ saw that Tony Stark had a big, kind heart. He not only needed the reactor to show others the truth, but to show himself as well.

And although that one fateful day in Afghanistan held the most tortured memories, it also held friendship and new makings of a heart that learned to _shine_.

Quite literally, in fact.

So Tony spoke, saying syllables that formed words and would one day become a part of his legacy.

"I am Iron Man."

But, really, as those same people shouted and those cameras flashed, it was almost like saying, _"I have a heart."_

 

_-end-_

**Author's Note:**

> So, that was that, I guess. Hope you enjoyed it:)
> 
> I'll try to get the next chapter of "Just Around The Corner" up as soon as I can, for now...please be patient. I know it's been awhile. And if you could, help would be lovely.
> 
> Hope you all have a wonderful day! Quyana!


End file.
